Chapter 260: Blood Battle at Jin Prefecture

Jin Prefecture City

This northern border stronghold, at this moment like a lone leaf in a stormy sea, bears the frantic pounding of the Northern Han allied forces, wave after wave.

On the city walls, the originally blue-gray bricks had already been stained into a patchwork of dark red and scorched black, a ferocious color.

The tattered military banner snapped in the wind mixed with the smell of blood; the huge 'Li' character on its face, though riddled with arrow holes and stains, still fluttered defiantly.

"Hold fast! All of you, hold fast for me!"

The voice of the defending general, Li Hong, had become completely hoarse; half his body was drenched in blood, his armor studded with several arrow clusters, and the saber in his hand was chipped with multiple notches.

He was like a furious male lion, running and shouting along the battlements, rushing wherever the situation grew dire.

His defending troops were already exhausted to the limit, many relying solely on willpower to keep their bodies upright, mechanically swinging their weapons to cut down the Northern Han soldiers climbing up the ladders.

Rolling logs, boulders, boiling oil… all usable siege supplies were being consumed at an astonishing rate.

"General! The western wall has been breached again! The brothers can't hold much longer!" a smoke‑covered commandant stumbled over to report, his voice trembling with tears.

Li Hong's eyes were bloodshot as he snapped his gaze westward.

There, a section of the parapet wall collapsed completely under the relentless bombardment of the enemy's trebuchets, exposing a hastily reinforced line of door planks and sandbags behind it.

The Northern Han archers concentrated their fire there, pinning the defenders down so they could not lift their heads.

And more enemy infantry, like hyenas scenting blood, howled as they surged toward that breach!

"Personal guards! Follow me!"

Li Hong hesitated not, grasping his notched saber, he led the last few dozen able-bodied personal soldiers, like moths flying into flame, fearlessly charging into that deadly vortex!

"Protect the general!"

"Fight to the death with the Northern Han dogs!"

Seeing their commander personally leading the charge, the remaining defenders, whose morale had been on the verge of collapse, were suddenly roused to a flicker of bloody courage, and they all roared as they followed.

At the breach, a fiercely brutal melee erupted instantly!

Li Hong raged like a mad tiger; wherever his blade flashed, a Northern Han soldier screamed and fell.

He had completely abandoned defense, attacking only, a pure fight‑to‑the‑death style!

The personal guards surrounded him, using their bodies to block attacks from all directions; as one fell, another immediately took his place.

Blood soaked every inch of ground beneath them, corpses piled in layers, almost plugging the breach again.

Just at this critical juncture——

Woo——woo——woo——

A low, desolate horn blast suddenly sounded from the flank rear of the battlefield!

This horn call was unlike any used by the Northern Han allied forces, carrying a unique, austere and imposing aura belonging to the Chen dynasty's imperial guards!

Immediately after, the earth began to tremble slightly!

A force not large in number, but with bright banners and superb armor, surged forth like a sword drawn from its sheath, charging out from behind a hill!

At its fore rode a tall, mountain‑like general wielding a solid‑iron tipped spear—none other than the Chen imperial guard general sent ahead to reinforce, the Marquis of Zhongwu, Shi Dun!

"The 'Stone' character flag danced wildly in the wind!"

"Brothers of Jin Prefecture! Hold on! Shi Dun has arrived!"

Shi Dun's voice rang like a great bell as he spurred his horse madly; his long spear turned into a black lightning bolt, piercing straight into the flank of the Northern Han forces fiercely assaulting the breach!

"Reinforcements! It's General Shi Dun's reinforcements!"

"The Imperial Court hasn't abandoned us!"

"Kill!"

Upon the city walls, the previously despairing defenders, upon seeing that familiar banner and hearing that heaven‑like shout, instantly burst into a thunderous cheer!

Their seemingly exhausted strength seemed to return to their bodies, the arms wielding weapons once again filled with power!

Li Hong swung his blade, cleaving the enemy before him, wiped away the hot blood splashed on his face, and gazing at the cavalry outside the city that thrust into the enemy formation like a dagger, his eye sockets heated.

"Good! Good! Stone barbarian, you damned finally came!"

He let out a wild laugh, then shouted hoarsely, exhausted.

"Brothers! Reinforcements have arrived! Follow me out to kill! Meet up with General Shi!"

"Kill!"

The defenders, having turned desperation into survival, erupted with astonishing fighting strength, actually pushing back the Northern Han troops pouring into the breach!

Under attack from both inside and outside, the Northern Han elite tasked with storming the breach instantly fell into chaos, suffering heavy casualties and forced to retreat backward.

Shi Dun led his cavalry back and forth through the enemy ranks twice, utterly disrupting the Northern Han assault; seeing the pressure on the walls ease slightly, he did not linger, blew a whistle, and with his unit withdrew like a whirlwind, retreating calmly to the south gate of Jin Prefecture City.

He brought only a modest force—three thousand vanguard cavalry—aimed at boosting morale, disrupting the enemy, and buying time for the main force to arrive.

The true fierce battle still lies ahead.

Northern Han allied forces' central command camp.

Northern Han's lord, Liu Jun, with a grim visage, watched the attacking troops recede like a tide and the Chen dynasty cavalry that had shown off on the battlefield before marching off, then slammed his fist hard onto the table before him.

"Trash! A bunch of trash!"

"We were about to take the city! Yet we were thrown into disarray by just a few thousand cavalry!"

At his side, a figure clad in a dark blue robe, face hidden in the shadow of a hood, let out a low, cold chuckle.

"Lord Liu, Uncle, why get angry?"

The voice was hoarse, carrying an inhuman chill.

"Shi Dun is nothing but a brute; his arrival only adds a few thousand more burial items for Jin Prefecture."

Liu Jun seemed quite wary of this mysterious person, suppressing his anger.

"Venerable, the Chen dynasty's reinforcements have arrived; although only a vanguard, their main force is likely not far off."

"Especially that Chen Wen, it is said he has personally taken command and is on his way."

If we cannot swiftly capture Jinzhou, we fear……

The Iron Crow Army's high-ranking officer called the Venerable slowly lifted their head, revealing a pair of emotionless eyes beneath their hood.

Chen Wen…… his arrival is good.

The master hopes he will leave Bian Liang's turtle shell.

As for Jinzhou City……

He extended a hand, pale and devoid of any blood, pointing toward the distant city riddled with scars.

Tomorrow, I will personally take action to help the Imperial Uncle capture this city.

Let the lads prepare; the Netherfire will be put to use.

Upon hearing this, Liu Jun's spirit lifted, a glint of mixed anticipation and fear flashing in his eyes.

Netherfire? The Venerable means…… that kind of thing?

Not bad.

The Venerable spoke in a flat tone, as if discussing a trivial matter.

Li Hong and Shi Dun, along with the city they stubbornly defend, will be reduced to ashes.

Inside Jinzhou City.

The brief joy of victory was quickly replaced by a heavier reality.

The three thousand cavalry brought by Shi Dun also lost several hundred men in the recent raid.

Meanwhile, the city's defenders, after days of bloody fighting, number fewer than five thousand able-bodied soldiers, each wounded and exhausted.

Military supplies and medicines, especially arrows, have been nearly exhausted.

Li Hong and Shi Dun met in the hall of the prefectural office, which temporarily served as the commander's residence.

The two veteran generals exchanged no pleasantries, merely gripping each other's hands firmly; everything was understood without words.

Shi brother, thank you.

Li Hong's voice was hoarse, filled with deep fatigue.

Among brothers, why say such things?

Shi Dun patted his shoulder, his brows tightly furrowed.

How is the city's defense? How much longer can we hold out?

Li Hong gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

You've seen it too—riddled with holes.

If Northern Han launches an attack of the same intensity tomorrow as today, without a miracle…… at most three days.

Shi Dun fell silent for a moment, then spoke in a low voice.

His Majesty has personally led twenty thousand elite Imperial Guard northward, traveling day and night; they will surely arrive within at most five days!

Five days……

A glimmer of hope flashed in Li Hong's eyes, but was immediately overtaken by worry.

I fear…… Northern Han and the Iron Crow Army will not give us five days.

He walked to the map, pointing at the Northern Han allied forces' encampment outside the city.

Their offensive today was thwarted; tomorrow they will surely launch a fiercer retaliation.

I worry…… about the Iron Crow Army's strange methods……

Shi Dun let out a heavy grunt.

Damn them!

Meet force with force, meet water with earth!

I want to see whether their sorcery is stronger or my iron spear is harder!

Though said thus, both understood in their hearts that the forthcoming battle would be even more brutal.

Night fell.

On Jinzhou's city walls, torches swayed in the night wind, illuminating the weary yet vigilant faces of the defenders.

Outside the city, the Northern Han allied forces' campfires stretched continuously, like a sky full of stars, exuding an intangible pressure.

The air was thick with an unrelenting stench of blood and a faint, peculiar odor reminiscent of sulfur mixed with decay.

Shi Dun stood on the city wall, gazing toward the distant enemy camp, fists clenched.

Li Hong leaned against a nearby battlement, closing his eyes to rest, seizing every moment to recover his strength.

On the walls, the groans of the wounded, the low commands of officers, and the clatter of artisans hastily repairing defenses wove together into a lament of chaotic times.

Everyone knew that at dawn, another even more brutal bloodbath would ensue.

Jinzhou's fate still hung by a thread.

Meanwhile, on the distant official road, a large army bearing a dragon flag with the character 'Chen' was advancing at full speed through the darkness toward this blood-soaked lone city.